Q: Why was he released?
REAR ADM. KIRBY: Joe, I don't have the records on this guy from -- from Guantanamo Bay.
Yes, he was a detainee. He was released in 2007. He was released to Kabul.
The other thing that we've said -- and this is another great example, because we had a long, you know, discussion not too long ago about the -- the recidivism and particularly the issue of this -- this one individual who reengaged there in Qatar, and we said that they return to the battlefield and to the fight at their own peril. Mr. Kadim is proof of that.

Kirby's statement that Khadim's death should be viewed as a positive is cold comfort to the hundreds of Afghans, Americans, and Coalition personnel who were killed while Khadim commanded forces in southern Afghanistan. The jihadist was able to operate for more than six years as a top level Taliban commander and has the blood of thousands on his hands.
Khadim and Mullah Zakir, another Guantanamo alum (who is still alive; he "resigned due to ill health," according to the Taliban) were responsible for implementing the Taliban's counter-surge strategy. While the the jihadist group failed to halt Coalition and Afghan forces' gains in the south from 2009 to 2011 (gains which are now melting away), at least 875 Coalition members were killed during the fighting in Kandahar (273 killed) and Helmand (602 killed) during that time period, according to iCasualties (note, data on Coalition members killed by province after 2011 is not available on the iCasualties website). The number of Afghan security personnel and civilians killed in Kandahar and Helmand by the Taliban during that timeframe is not available, but is likely in the thousands.
Despite this, Kirby doubles down and says Guantanamo should be closed, which means even more jihadists will be freed.

Q: After seeing such example, like former Guantanamo detainee who was released and went back to the -- to work with the Taliban, is the Pentagon still convinced that Guantanamo should be closed?
REAR ADM. KIRBY: Yes. The Pentagon's position is that the detainee facility should be closed. Secretary Hagel has made that clear on any number of occasions. There's no change to that.

Iyad Ag Ghaly, the leader of the Malian jihadist group Ansar Dine, is reportedly in the Kidal region of Mali, according to Der Spiegel. Paul Hyacinthe Mben, a journalist for the German magazine, reportedly traveled to the Kidal region of Mali and met with the jihadist leader. "Two years after the military intervention of the French, Ag Ghaly walks freely in Kidal and feels safe," Mben reports. While it is likely that Ag Ghaly is indeed in northern Mali, the events told in the Der Spiegel report cannot be independently verified.
Mben says that Ag Ghaly met him at a tent camp "65km from the town of Kidal." Mben goes on to say that the jihadist leader showed him a Sharia school run by the group for young boys. "Two days later," Malian media has reported, "the leader of Ansar Dine presents the reporter one of his lieutenants, Rhissa ag Bounounou." Ag Bounounou is reportedly one of Ag Ghaly's men tasked with smuggling weapons from the chaos in Libya into northern Mali.
Mben purportedly then visited one of the group's weapon caches, where he saw "rifles, grenades, explosives, mines, and rocket launchers." Ag Bounounou then allegedly taunted the French-led counterterrorism mission by saying, "Europeans can send as many drones they want. They will not find us."
Ansar Dine was formed in 2011 and throughout 2012 the group worked with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Tuareg separatist groups to take over Mali's north. Ansar Dine acts as the local wing of AQIM. A confidential letter written by AQIM's emir Abdelmalek Droukdel was found stating that the group's fighters in Mali should hide their activities under the banner of Ansar Dine. By doing so, AQIM was considered less likely draw unwanted attention from the international community and thus avoid a military intervention.
However, after the various jihadist groups implemented their strict form of Sharia, France launched an intervention in Mali to help regain control of the north in January 2013. In February of 2013, Ag Ghaly was designated a terrorist by the US State Department. In their designation, State noted that Ag Ghaly "cooperates closely with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb." [For more on Ag Ghaly's designation, see LWJ report Emir of Ansar Dine added to US, UN's terrorist lists]
Ag Ghaly went off the radar shortly thereafter, only to periodically resurface. Despite the French intervention, which has now become a region-wide counterterrorism mission, jihadists in northern Mali continue to pose a serious threat. ]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/iyad_ag_ghaly_reportedly_in_th.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/iyad_ag_ghaly_reportedly_in_th.phpAnsar DineAQIMMaliTue, 10 Feb 2015 17:38:53 -0500Boko Haram brings war to Niger, senior Chadian general wounded

Fierce battles between Boko Haram and a growing coalition of Nigeria's neighboring states has left hundreds dead this week. Swarms of the group's jihadists launched a series of attacks inside Niger on February 6, marking the first time that Boko Haram has penetrated into that country. The attacks, which reportedly left over 100 Boko Haram fighters dead, also injured a senior Chadian army general.
Details on the clashes were reported by the AFP:

Boko Haram launched its first major attack in Niger on Friday, triggering a forceful response from regional troops who claimed to have killed more than a hundred of the Islamists.
The clashes in Bosso and Diffa, along the border with Nigeria, marked yet another expansion of violence attributed to Boko Haram, but it seemed to have come at a heavy cost.
Niger's defence minister reported that 109 of the Islamists were killed, along with four soldiers and a civilian. Seventeen other troops were wounded.
Chadian forces, who have taken a lead role in battling Boko Haram in recent days, fought alongside Niger's troops on Friday. Chad's commander in Niger, General Yaya Daoud, was also wounded with a gunshot to the stomach, a security source said.
Niger's Defence Minister Mahamadou Karidjo said calm had been restored to both Bosso and Diffa.
Chadian forces have been stationed in Bosso since Monday, a humanitarian worker said, adding that Boko Haram "took the municipality" for a time before being "driven back to Nigeria".
Other clashes broke out some 10 kilometres (six miles) from Niger's Diffa, which is on the border with Nigeria near a bridge that links the two countries. Its control is essential for transporting troops and supplies.
Little more than a stream, the Komadougou Yobe marks the frontier between Niger and Nigeria, and the water level has recently dropped considerably, making it easy to cross.

Earlier this week, Boko Haram counterattacked Chadian forces staging in the strategic village of Fotokol located in Cameroon, killing at least 70 people and destroying many homes as well as the central mosque, according to the BBC.
Unnamed US intelligence officials estimated this week that Boko Haram has about 4,000-6,000 "hardcore" fighters. The Islamist force has long occupied large swathes of territory in northeastern Nigeria and over 1.5 million Nigerians have been displaced by the violence. On February 7, the Nigerian electoral commission announced it will postpone the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for February 14 for six weeks, allowing for more time to secure the volatile northeastern areas, according to the AFP.
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/boko_haram_brings_war_to_niger.phpBoko HaramCameroonChadNigerNigeriaSun, 08 Feb 2015 09:37:14 -0500AQAP releases audio message featuring Ibrahim al-Rubaysh
"Allah Will Be Sufficient For You Against Them" (Source: Al Malahem Media Foundation)
The media wing of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al Malahem Media Foundation, released an audio message on Twitter in late January featuring AQAP ideologue Ibrahim al-Rubaysh titled "Allah Will Be Sufficient For You Against Them." In this most recent eight and a half minute message, Rubaysh addresses the surge in solidarity for the victims of January's attack on the satirical French Charlie Hebdo magazine, an operation which AQAP has since claimed.
Rubaysh begins his audio message by claiming an infidel's inherent hostility towards Islam and the Muslim community, an argument buttressed by Qur'anic verses cited by the AQAP ideologue. He claims that, "Allah has made clear to us that they [the infidels] will not spare a thing in hurting the Muslims." Rubaysh then goes farther, declaring that "[the infidels] war against us will not cease until they force us to leave Islam."
The jihadist ideologue suggests that Western offenses against the Prophet are part of the broader infidel war against Islam. He says that Western nations have intervened in Muslim countries and killed Muslims, and then completed this aggression through mockery of the Prophet. "Do we not have a right to respond to the aggression of the aggressors?" asks Rubaysh.
Rubaysh then turns to the widespread demonstrations in support of freedom of speech and the victims of the Paris attacks last month, which AQAP claimed shortly after. "What is amazing," says Rubaysh, "is that you see infidels standing with each other and supporting each other in their aggression against the Muslims and their offending of the Prophet (PBUH). They go out raising the slogan of 'We are Charlie' in solidarity with their fools."
Even more shocking to Rubaysh is the fact that some Muslims appear to have supported such demonstrations of solidarity. "Solidarity with anyone who has offended the Messenger (PBUH) and supporting them ... is an offense that ejects its perpetrator from the circle of Islam," he flatly announces. "What is left for a Muslim of his Islam," questions Rubaysh, "if he were to support the infidels in their offense of the Messenger of Islam (PBUH)?"
He goes on to say that defending the Prophet's honor as well as "disciplining anyone who blasphemes against him" is a duty incumbent on every capable Muslim. "And as much as the servant is more capable," stipulates Rubaysh, "his duty is even greater."
Rubaysh declares that those who have shown solidarity with offenses against the Prophet must "pay a high price, the greater share of which should be borne by France." France's culpability in this matter lies in the fact that it has galvanized the world in support of the Charlie Hebdo magazine staff who had offended Muslim sensibilities, according to Rubyash.
The AQAP ideologue claims that "recent years have witnessed a retreat in the American leadership role in the war against Islam," so that France is attempting to posit itself as the new leader of this religious war. Rubaysh concludes that, "the infidels must pay the price of their aggression upon our countries and for offending our Messenger (PBUH) - a costly price from their security and economy." According to Rubaysh, any Muslim who has expressed solidarity with the offense of the Prophet "will bear what he receives as the result of the actions of the courageous who seek martyrdom in support of the Messenger (PBUH)."
Rubaysh calls for even more attacks against France and any Western journalist who disrepects the Prophet. "The work must continue," he says, "and every raid must be followed by another, till every journalist knows that if he aggressors against the religion of Islam, no newspaper will accept him, and no hotel will shelter him, and he will not find any patch of land upon which to sleep soundly."
He advocates increased attacks as a way to push Westerners to abandon their faith in freedom of speech "if that means offense of the Muslims." He suggests that if Western countries truly understood that such offenses against Islam would cost them a heavy price, they "would legislate laws" to prevent and deter people from offending Muslims.
Rubaysh concludes his audio message with a general call for attacks against anyone disrespectful of Islam. "Oh Muslim, oh you who loves the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): set forth to Allah's blessing," he says, a clear invitation to jihad. He adds that Muslims should "not consult anyone about killing one who mocks the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)" and not heed the words of Muslim clerics who do the bidding of earthly rulers.]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/aqap_releases_audio_message_fe.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/aqap_releases_audio_message_fe.phpAl Qaeda in the Arabian PeninsulaYemenThu, 05 Feb 2015 11:51:47 -0500Hundreds killed as Chadian military overruns Boko Haram strongholds Hundreds of suspected Boko Haram fighters have been killed since January 31 as Chadian forces, backed by Nigerian and French aircraft, overran the jihadist group's strongholds in northern Nigeria. The latest outbreak of fighting occurred after members of Boko Haram ambushed Chadian forces who had been staging in nearby Cameroon.
The Chadian military has liberated the Nigerian towns of Baga, Dikwa, Malam Fatori, Damasak, Ngala and parts of Bama in the past four days, according to a spokesman for a Nigerian militia group and reported by Bloomberg.
Details of the fighting were also reported by the Globe and Mail:

"Chad's army said its troops were attacked Tuesday [February 3] in Cameroon by Boko Haram...
'Our valiant forces responded vigorously, a chase was immediately instituted all the way to their base at Gamboru and Ngala [in Nigeria], where they were completely wiped out,' spokesman Col. Azem Bermendoa said on national television Tuesday night.
More than 200 extremists and nine Chadian troops were killed, he said.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Boko Haram fighters driven out of Gamboru crossed the border and attacked Chadian military posts in Fotokol, in far northern Cameroon, residents and military officers said.
This week's military actions mark the biggest offensive against Boko Haram in its more than five-year history.

Cameroonian forces are assisting Chadian forces in countering the Boko Haram assault in Fotokol, and fighting remains ongoing. In Nigeria, Chadian and Nigerian attack jets and helicopters continue to assault jihadist positions in and around the strategic town of Gamboru, which Boko Haram has occupied since last year.
In late January, Chadian forces countered a Boko Haram ambush near Malam Fatori and reportedly killed 120 insurgents, according to regional reports. Three Chadian soldiers were also reported killed in the fighting.
The African Union (AU) has authorized a Multinational Joint Task Force [MJTF] of 7,500 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to wage war against Boko Haram, although further meetings this week are expected to refine the MJTF's mandate. Currently, there are approximately 2,000 Chadian personnel operating in and around the Boko Haram-occupied border area of northern Nigeria. France, a key ally of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, has also announced its participation in the offensive against the jihadist group, and confirmed supplying surveillance aircraft to assist the Chadian assault against Gamboru.
More details were provided by Newsweek:

Despite French president Francois Hollande's previous claims that French warplanes were operating in Nigerian airspace, French officials have since confirmed that French operations are limited to the airspace of Nigeria's neighbours, Chad and Niger.
"Our air force is carrying out reconnaissance missions, but not over Nigeria," a French defence ministry source told Reuters today. "Our support is limited to neighbouring countries such as Chad and Niger," the source added.

An Islamic State sniper using the US-made Mk. 14 EBR designated marksman rifle.

The Islamic State recently published a photo report from battles near Zawbaa in Iraq's Anbar province. Zawbaa is to the east of the town of Amiriyat al Fallujah and is close to Abu Ghraib, which is just west of Baghdad.
The photos bear the title of the Islamic State's Wilayat Junub, or its Southern Province. This administrative division is comprised of areas south of Baghdad and parts of northern Babil province. The fact that these photos were published by Wilayat Junub and not Wilayat al Fallujah more than likely represents operational overlap between the two divisions. These images have been disseminated on Twitter by its supporters after being posted elsewhere online.
The photos show Islamic State fighters targeting Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) personnel and their Sunni tribal allies in the vicinity of Zawbaa. The Islamic State used mortars, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and sniper fire in its assault in the town. Several photos show Islamic State snipers with the US-made Mk. 14 EBR designated marksman rifle, which is currently in use by the Iraqi special forces. At least four Humvees are shown to have been destroyed or damaged in the attack, as well as several ISF buildings.
Other photos appear to show the capture and beheading of ISF members or tribal fighters near the area. The Islamic State was also able to capture a large cache of weapons, including M-16's, AK-47's, RPG's, and PK machine guns. One photo also purports to show the identification badges and personal cell phones of the captured or killed ISF members.
Several Arabic-language news site indicate that the Islamic State is launching a new campaign to take Amiriyat al Fallujah. On Jan. 31, it was reported that a renewed offensive was launched on the town with four of its members being killed by Iraqi police and tribal fighters. Additional reporting also indicated that the town has been encircled and the group is firing mortar rounds into the town. The Islamic State has released pictures showing its fighters firing 120mm mortars on Amiriyat al Fallujah in recent days. Other photos released by the group also show a Russian suicide bomber detonating within an M113 armored personnel carrier near the town.
Today's reporting still indicates Amiriyat al Fallujah is under siege, however Baghdad is said to be sending reinforcements to the area. Clashes are still ongoing in the Zawbaa area and north of the town. Al Jazeera has also reported that Islamic State fighters in the Owesat area of northern Babil province, which is just south of Amiriyat al Fallujah, are also engaging ISF personnel near the town.
Amiriyat al Fallujah is a strategic locale in western Iraq as it links up with Jurf al Sakhar in Babil province. Control of both towns would allow the Islamic State to put significant pressure on Baghdad, as well as Karbala and Najaf. Jurf al Sakhar was previously held by the Islamic State, but was recaptured by ISF and Shia militias in October 2014. That same month, Amiriyat al Fallujah became under siege by the Islamic State before being beaten back by the ISF and its Sunni tribal allies.
Patrick Megahan assisted in identifying weapons used by the Islamic State in this report. Photos released by the Islamic State showing the fighting near Zawbaa can be seen below]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/islamic_state_attacking_near_a.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/02/islamic_state_attacking_near_a.phpIraqIslamic StateTue, 03 Feb 2015 13:57:13 -0500Coalition kills Islamic State 'chemical weapons engineer'according to the CENTCOM press release. "He later joined ISIL and his past training and experience provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability."
"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people," CENTCOM concluded.
It is unclear if Abu Malik was associated with the al Qaeda in Iraq cell that the Iraqi Ministry of Defense broke up in 2013 (al Qaeda in Iraq was eventually rebranded as the Islamic State). That cell was seeking to manufacture chemical weapons, including sarin nerve gas, and plotting to conduct attacks within Iraq, Europe, and North America, according to the Iraqi government. ]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/coalition_kills_islamic_state.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/coalition_kills_islamic_state.phpAl QaedaIraqIslamic StateSat, 31 Jan 2015 12:40:57 -0500Islamic State admits its forces withdrew from KobaneAccording to Al Jazeera, Kurds returning to Kobani have found "at least half of the town destroyed." However much of the city has been destroyed during fighting between the Islamic State and the YPG and its allies.
The jihadist in the video rightly notes that a considerable number of airstrikes were launched against the Islamic State in and around Kobane. The US-led Coalition has executed 606 airstrikes on the jihadist group in the area between Sept. 27, 2014 and Jan. 20, 2015, according to data compiled by The Long War Journal and Military Edge. That represents more than 71 percent of the total number of Coalition airstrikes in Syria during that timeframe. [See LWJ report, Islamic State is forced from Kobane.]]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/islamic_state_admits_its_force.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/islamic_state_admits_its_force.phpIslamic StateSyriaUS MilitaryFri, 30 Jan 2015 17:41:17 -0500Hezbollah kills 2 Israeli soldiers in anti-tank missile attackthe Israeli Defense Forces stated on its blog. "Seven additional IDF soldiers were injured, two of them moderately. The injured soldiers were evacuated to a hospital."
"The IDF responded to attacks with combined aerial and ground strikes at Hezbollah operational positions," the Israeli military stated.
According to Reuters, a Spanish peacekeeper was killed during retaliatory air and artillery strikes against Hezbollah. It is unclear if any of the group's fighters were killed.
Hezbollah claimed the attack via Al Manar, the the group's official news outlet.
"At 11:25 this morning, the Quneitra Heroic Martyrs group, of the Islamic Resistance, targeted an Israeli military convoy in the Shebaa Farms composed of several vehicles transporting Zionist officers and soldiers," the statement said. "Several vehicles were destroyed, and casualties were caused among the enemy ranks."
Several senior Lebanese government officials, including the prime minister, the speaker of parliament, and the foreign affairs minister, praised the attack, according to Al Manar.
Today's assault was likely launched in retaliation for the deaths of six Hezbollah operators, including the son of slain leader Imad Mughniyah, and a Qods Force general and six other officers and advisers in an Israeli airstrike. The thirteen Hezbollah and Qods Force commanders and members were scouting the Quneitra area in Syria on Jan. 18 when Israeli aircraft launched an attack, killing them all. [See LWJ reports, Hezbollah commanders killed in suspected Israeli airstrike, and Senior Qods Force general killed in suspected Israeli airstrike.]]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/hezbollah_kills_two_israeli_so.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/hezbollah_kills_two_israeli_so.phpHezbollahIranIsraelLebanonQods ForceSyriaWed, 28 Jan 2015 14:31:41 -0500Islamic State assaults Iraqi border post near Jordan

Islamic State fighters shown attacking the Arkaban border post near the Jordanian border.

The Islamic State has released photos showing its forces attacking Iraq's Arkaban border post near Jordan. The photos were produced by the Islamic State's Wilayat (Province) Anbar and disseminated by its supporters online.
The pictures show fighters firing on the border post with rocket propelled grenades, small arms, and with technicals (pickup trucks armed with heavy machine guns). At least seven technicals are shown in the images released by the jihadist group.
Iraqi media reports that the Islamic State attack on the outpost was repelled by Iraqi border forces backed by airstrikes. Brigadier Saad Maan, a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry, said that "The strength of the third regiment in the fourth border guards foiled an attempt by Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] to attack the Iraqi Arkaban Border Station near the Iraqi-Jordanian borders and confronted the attack in coordination with the Joint Operations which provided aerial support for the Iraqi troops." Maan continued by saying that three border guards were wounded in the attack, sustaining minor injuries.
Last November, the Islamic State attacked an Iraqi military outpost near the Trebil border complex with Jordan. At least six Iraqi military personnel were killed or wounded in that attack. Iraq had recaptured the Trebil crossing just days after the Islamic State overran it in June of last year. [For more information on the attack on the Trebil crossing, as well as the brief capture of it, see LWJ report, Islamic State attacks Iraqi border crossing with Jordan.]
Photos released by the Islamic State showing the attack on the Arkaban border post with Jordan can be seen below:]]>http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/islamic_state_assaults_iraqi_b.php
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/islamic_state_assaults_iraqi_b.phpIraqIslamic StateJordanTue, 27 Jan 2015 15:55:14 -0500Boko Haram releases photos showing children in training
A media organization linked to Boko Haram, al Urwa al Wuthaqa, has released two images purporting to show children training somewhere in northeastern Nigeria.
The two photos show at least a dozen children in what appears to be a weapons training program. Several are seen holding AK-47 assault rifles, while others are seen holding cutouts of weapons. Some children appear to be girls, while the majority pictured are young boys.
Boko Haram joins several other jihadist groups around the world in showcasing training for young children. In 2013, the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al Qaeda affiliated group that operates in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and Syria, released a video showing kids training in Pakistan. The Taliban are also known to operate training camps, including those for suicide bombings, for youth in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Additionally, The Long War Journal has identified several training camps for children in Iraq and Syria. These camps are run by jihadist groups such as the Islamic State, the Al Nusrah Front, Junud al Sham, and Ahrar al Sham. [For more on training camps for children in Iraq and Syria, see LWJ report Jihadists tout training camps for children in Iraq and Syria]
Boko Haram is an al Qaeda-linked group operating in Nigeria. The group controls vast amounts of territory in the northeastern part of the country. In addition to killing countless Nigerians, the group also poses a threat to neighboring countries. [For more information on Boko Haram, see LWJ reports Boko Haram continues to slaughter Nigerians, Boko Haram overruns Multinational Joint Task Force base, and Chad joins Cameroon, Nigeria, in fight against Boko Haram]
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/boko_haram_releases_photos_sho.phpBoko HaramNigeriaSun, 25 Jan 2015 19:34:51 -0500President Obama's 'successful' counterterrorism strategy in Yemen in limboThe Long War Journal questioned the wisdom of describing Somalia and Yemen as "successfully pursued" counterterrorism operations. Al Qaeda's official branches, Shabaab in Somalia and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen, remain entrenched in their respective countries, despite some setbacks here and there. AQAP's core leadership cadre is intact. And both al Qaeda branches continue to control territory while working to conduct attacks outside of their countries. [For details, see LWJ report, US strategy against Islamic State to mirror counterterrorism efforts in Yemen, Somalia.]
In the four plus months since Obama described Yemen as a successful engagement, things have gone from bad to worse. The Iranian-backed Shiite Houthis have broken out from the northern provinces and overran the capital. Just this week, President Hadi, who was perhaps America's greatest ally on the Arabian Peninsula as he actively endorsed and facilitated US counterterrorism operations, including controversial drone strikes against AQAP, was forced to step down. The prime minister has also resigned and the government has dissolved.
During this timeframe, the US drone program against AQAP has stalled. The last US drone strike in Yemen that has been confirmed by The Long War Journaltook place on Nov. 12, 2014. This is especially remarkable given that AQAP has claimed credit for the assault on Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris, and the terrorists themselves said that AQAP sent them.
Unsurprisingly, US officials are now telling Reuters that counterterrorism operations in Yemen are "paralyzed" with the collapse of the Hadi government (the long gap in strikes in the face of the Charlie Hebdo attack is a clear indication that US CT operations are in limbo). Yemen's military is also said to be in disarray.
If US officials expect the Houthis to be willing participants against AQAP, they are mistaken. The Houthis, while enemies of AQAP, are no friends of the US. While their movement was not created by Iran, they have adopted the Iranians' motto: "Death to America." Additionally, any action against AQAP only serves to strengthen the Houthis, and by extension, Iran.
Meanwhile, without a central government and effective military, Sunnis may be tempted to back AQAP against the Shiite Houthis, thereby increasing AQAP's recruiting pool. There is already evidence that this is happening.
If this is what a successful counterterrorism strategy looks like, we'd hate to see failure.
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/obamas_successful_counterterro.phpAl Qaeda in the Arabian PeninsulaShabaabSomaliaYemenSat, 24 Jan 2015 11:57:35 -0500Haqqani Network and Jamaat-ud-Dawa: Banned or not?Dawn, the Pakistani newspaper, hit the nail square on the head with an editorial, titled "Banned or not?". The paper asks the hard questions about whether the Pakistani government has really banned the Haqqani Network and Jamaat-ud-Dawa. [For LWJ's analysis on this subject, see: Reported ban of Haqqani Network unlikely to end Pakistan's support of group, and Pakistan falsely claims it takes 'immediate action' against terror groups listed by the UN.]
The editorial is reproduced in full, below. Keep in mind that asking tough questions about the Pakistani state's duplicity with respect to terrorist groups requires quite a bit of courage in that country. The Long War Journal is banned in Pakistan to this day for noting Pakistan's good-vs-bad Taliban problem, as well as exposing other issues. But that is a small price to pay. Brave and insightful journalists, such as Asia Times reporter Syed Saleem Shahzad, have been tortured and brutally murdered for questioning the Pakistani state and its links to the Taliban and other jihadist groups.
Kudos to Dawn for its cogent editorial.

IT ought to be a straightforward answer to a simple question: has the Pakistani state taken any measures in recent weeks against, among others, the Haqqani network and Jamaatud Dawa that impact on the legal and operational status of those groups on Pakistani soil?
Unhappily, even in this most straightforward of cases, the Pakistani state is being anything but direct and honest.
The Foreign Office tells the media to check with the Interior Ministry and Nacta; the otherwise voluble and media-attention-loving Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan goes silent; anonymous bureaucrats and unnamed officials give contradictory statements; parliament is given ambiguous answers to direct questions; and nowhere does anyone in any relevant public office show any inclination to inform the public of what is or is not being done in their name.
Meanwhile, the conspiracy theories are growing more feverish: an outright ban, frozen bank accounts, restrictions on foreign travel of JuD leaders -- whatever new measures have been taken, it has all been done at the behest of the US to placate an angry India and assist the Afghan government.
Such conspiracy theories do more than confuse the public; they strike at the heart of the consensus this country needs, that the fight against militancy is Pakistan's own and not imposed by the outside world on a hapless nation.
All the confusion can be cleared up by a simple, authoritative statement by the interior ministry, or -- given the implications for national security policy -- by the Prime Minister's Office. But, in a way that echoes the old practice here of saying one thing (or saying nothing) and doing another, the government has chosen to remain silent -- just as the state alternates between remaining silent about drone strikes and condemning them.
Just as once upon a time the army-led security establishment cut clandestine -- sometimes, public -- deals with militant groups while claiming it was opposed to religiously inspired militant groups existing on Pakistani soil. And just as the state banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, but allowed it to first morph into Jamaatud Dawa and now, to some extent, into the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation.
A simple path towards clarity -- at least in terms of designation and profiles -- in the present instance was offered by the Supreme Court on Thursday: make public the names of proscribed groups and translate anti-terrorism laws into local languages to increase awareness.
As the Supreme Court observed, often the public is unaware that groups operating as social welfare networks or collecting charity are in fact designated by the state to be terrorist groups. That has the effect of allowing the groups to grow and even gain public affection by pretending to be something they most certainly are not.
Perhaps it will be easier to begin to believe that the era of good militants/bad militants is over if the state can bring itself to name and ban all militant groups.

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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/haqqani_network_and_jamaat-ud-.phpAl QaedaHaqqani NetworkJamaat-ud-DawaLashkar-e-TaibaPakistanTalibanSat, 24 Jan 2015 11:41:31 -0500Jihadists tweet photo allegedly showing deceased Ansar al Sharia leader
Earlier today, published reports cited family members of Mohamed al Zahawi, the leader of Ansar al Sharia in Benghazi, as saying that Zahawi had succumbed to injuries sustained during fighting last year. Zahawi's death had been rumored for months, but there was never any confirmation. His family told the press that he had been hospitalized since receiving his wounds. A Libyan military official said that Zahawi had been seriously wounded during fighting in September 2014. You can read our coverage here.
More evidence of Zahawi's demise has surfaced online. Jihadists have posted a photo, shown above, that allegedly shows Zahawi after his death.
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/jihadists_tweet_photo_allegedl.phpAnsar al ShariaAnsar al Sharia LibyaBenghaziLibyaMohamed al ZahawiFri, 23 Jan 2015 21:42:39 -0500Cameroon strikes back after Boko Haram kidnaps 80 villagersReuters:

"According to our initial information, around 30 adults, most of them herders, and 50 young girls and boys aged between 10 and 15 years were abducted," a senior army officer deployed to northern Cameroon told Reuters.
He said the early-morning attack had targeted the village of Mabass and other villages along the porous border. Soldiers intervened and exchanged fire with the raiders for around two hours, he added.
Government spokesman Issa Tchiroma confirmed the attack, in which he said three people had been killed, as well as the kidnappings. He was not able to say with certainty how many people had been taken in the raid.
"There was a Boko Haram attack on several localities in the Far North region. The assailants burnt down about 80 homes and kidnapped several inhabitants including women and very young children," he said.

The attack on Sunday reportedly included hundreds of Boko Haram militants who went house to house taking women and children before attempting to flee back over the border into Nigeria.
Deutsche Welle provided some sobering claims about the challenges in securing the porous border areas between Cameroon and Nigeria:

Half of the 500 kilometer (311 miles) border that Cameroon shares with Nigeria is already occupied by Boko Haram on the Nigerian side, and DW's correspondent said it would be easy for them to cross over and kidnap more Cameroonians or send in suicide bombers.
The release of some of the hostages while Cameroon's forces were in pursuit came after Chad had begun deploying troops to the country to assist in the fight against the extremists.
Thousands of Chadian troops have arrived in Cameroon in some 400 military trucks, accompanied by military helicopters.<

The weekend clash and mass abduction by Boko Haram is setting the stage for the much touted intervention by neighboring Chad. Last week, the Chadian Parliament voted 150 to 0 to provide military assistance to both Cameroon and Nigeria to help battle Boko Haram. Chadian Government officials have since disclosed that the deployment of its forces to Cameroon includes around 2,000 soldiers, armored vehicles and attack helicopters, according to Al Jazeera America.
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2015/01/cameroon_strikes_back_after_bo.phpFri, 23 Jan 2015 00:22:45 -0500